VulnerabilityPublished 1 May 2026Updated 6 Nov 2026

CVE-2026-31759: Linux kernel · usb: ulpi: fix double free in ulpi_register_interface() error path

Affects Linux kernelSource CVE Database V5

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Not known to be exploited · fixed in ee248e6e941e4f2e634df2bd43e5f1ef810ab6df : update Linux kernel when convenient.

Data as of 6 Nov 2026, 16:33 UTC

Severity

Medium

Rated Medium by Threat Radar's AI analysis · No CVSS score from NVD or the CNA

Thin evidence

One scorer or none

Exploitation: No evidence of active exploitation and no public proof of concept
Automatable: Attackers cannot reliably automate steps 1–4 of the kill chain
Technical impact: Limited control over the software or limited information exposure

CISA SSVC assessment, 2026-11-06.

Patch

Available – fixed in ee248e6e941e4f2e634df2bd43e5f1ef810ab6df, aaeae6533d77e6ed4def85baec01e2815ebbef61, a6e5461f076c2ef63159f18e5cdbd30b50f0bc15 +5

Exploitation evidence

Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 1 May 2026
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponized: no evidence on record.
No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB
Exploited in the wildExploited: no evidence on record.
Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation
Observed by OffSeq MirageSeen by Mirage: no evidence on record.
No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors

A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 6 Nov 2026.

Disclosed: The CVE record is public on cve.org. Its publication is t = 0.
Detectable: A public nuclei template can find exposed instances, for defenders and attackers alike.
Weaponized: A Metasploit exploit module or Exploit-DB entry exists (Metasploit scanner modules do not count), or CISA SSVC or the CVSS exploit maturity reports a public proof of concept.
Exploited in the wild: CISA KEV lists it, CISA SSVC rates exploitation active, or a source reports attacks.
Observed by OffSeq Mirage: OffSeq Mirage honeypot sensors recorded attack traffic for this CVE, or found exposed hosts without attack traffic.

Moments are spaced evenly, not to scale; a dashed line marks a gap of six months or more. Deltas count from t = 0. Sources that give only a date (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, or a time of exactly 00:00Z) read “same day” rather than hours. Metasploit modules carry the flaw’s disclosure date, not their release date, and nuclei templates carry no date, so both appear above but not on the timeline.

What to do

Upgrade to a fixed release listed under Affected software.

Affected software

Product	Affected	Fixed in
LinuxLinux	Affected ≥ 289fcff4bcdb1dcc0ce8788b7ea0f58a9e4a495f, < ee248e6e941e4f2e634df2bd43e5f1ef810ab6df	Fixed in ee248e6e941e4f2e634df2bd43e5f1ef810ab6df
LinuxLinux	Affected ≥ 289fcff4bcdb1dcc0ce8788b7ea0f58a9e4a495f, < aaeae6533d77e6ed4def85baec01e2815ebbef61	Fixed in aaeae6533d77e6ed4def85baec01e2815ebbef61
LinuxLinux	Affected ≥ 289fcff4bcdb1dcc0ce8788b7ea0f58a9e4a495f, < a6e5461f076c2ef63159f18e5cdbd30b50f0bc15	Fixed in a6e5461f076c2ef63159f18e5cdbd30b50f0bc15
LinuxLinux	Affected ≥ 289fcff4bcdb1dcc0ce8788b7ea0f58a9e4a495f, < 8763f8317bb389aded32a32b08f6751cfff657d2	Fixed in 8763f8317bb389aded32a32b08f6751cfff657d2
LinuxLinux	Affected ≥ 289fcff4bcdb1dcc0ce8788b7ea0f58a9e4a495f, < 272a9b26c336a295e4e209157fed809706c1b1f7	Fixed in 272a9b26c336a295e4e209157fed809706c1b1f7
LinuxLinux	Affected ≥ 289fcff4bcdb1dcc0ce8788b7ea0f58a9e4a495f, < 38c28fe25611099230f0965c925499bfcf46a795	Fixed in 38c28fe25611099230f0965c925499bfcf46a795

AI-suggested

A fix is available in the Linux kernel commits identified by the fixedVersions hashes. Users and administrators should update to a Linux kernel version that includes these fixes to remediate the vulnerability. No additional mitigations are indicated.

Description

A double free vulnerability was identified and fixed in the Linux kernel's USB ULPI interface code. The flaw occurs in the error path of ulpi_register_interface() when device_register() fails, leading to ulpi being freed twice. This could cause memory corruption or kernel instability. The issue has been resolved by ensuring put_device() handles cleanup without a redundant free call.

Impact

The double free vulnerability can lead to memory corruption within the kernel, potentially causing system crashes or instability. While no public exploits or in-the-wild attacks are known, such memory management flaws can be leveraged for denial of service or privilege escalation under certain conditions.

Summary

CVE-2026-31759 addresses a double free vulnerability in the Linux kernel's USB ULPI interface. Specifically, when device_register() fails during ulpi_register(), put_device() is called on ulpi->dev, which triggers the device release callback ulpi_dev_release() to free ulpi. However, the error path in ulpi_register_interface() then incorrectly calls kfree(ulpi) again, causing a double free. The fix ensures that ulpi is freed only once by relying on put_device() and removing the redundant kfree call.

References

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Exploitation evidence

What to do

Affected software

Description

AI analysisMachine-generated, updated 6 Nov 2026, 16:33 UTC

Technical details

References

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